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AIBU?

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Original poster

To get SO SO SO angry about P&T spaces....

254 replies

Wilkie · 19/08/2007 17:53

I know, I know it has been done to death but honestly, some peopl are just fucking pig-ignorant.

Pulled up at Asda at the same time as a roughish middle aged couple, two P&T spaces available, I pulled into one, they pulled into another. Another car drove past with a young couple in and a tiny baby, looking for a space but obv couldn't park there as we had just taken last spaces.

Middle aged couple got out, stared at me as though to say 'so?' so I said 'I take it you have invisible children then??'

He said 'yeah actually' and sauntered off.

TWAT.

OP posts:
aloha · 20/08/2007 13:56

Actually town planning policies do expect public car parks to have some facilities for parents and children.
Calling people obscene names is against MN policy.

whiskeyandbeer · 20/08/2007 14:00

thats why i used the *. if that is still not on just let me know how i delete it an i will.

winestein · 20/08/2007 14:34
gess · 20/08/2007 14:53

PMSL winestein. All will be forgiven if you quote parking policies at us again

homemama · 20/08/2007 16:11

It's a real shame that something that's just there to make life a little easier has become such a BP raising subject on MN.

Why are they tagged together with disabled spaces? They're a completely different thing IMO. It's like saying that a microwave is as important in a house as a toilet. One is a basic human requirement, the other is quite useful and I'm glad I have it.

You can get your kids out of a normal car, it's nonsense to suggest you can't but having a wider space is useful. Useful, that's all! For me, the biggest benefit was being able to put the trolley up the side of the car when leaving one baby (well 20mths) in there to strap the other in. People drive like idiots in car parks. If I can't get one, I just park further back, rather than take a normal space close to the shop.

The thing that annoys most people is the blatant ignorance and selfishness of others. Lots of people park where they like, stop where they like, block junctions, drives etc. These people generally don't care about anyone except themselves or those in their own little bubble.

BUT, I would never damage or block in a car because I've no way of knowing whether they had a genuine need for that space or not. I know this won't be popular but actually I've no problem with someone just parking in a P&T space because they're feeling sick that morning. If you need to be close, use the space, end of story. I'm not the bloody space police.

Those people who come on here to equate disabled spaces with P&T spaces and get angry when a disabled person uses a P&T space (like the last thread I saw) are just idiots and I can't be bothered to even think about them.

MellowMa · 20/08/2007 16:13

Message withdrawn

FioFio · 20/08/2007 16:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

MellowMa · 20/08/2007 16:17

Message withdrawn

winestein · 20/08/2007 20:30

Gess - the shared use of parking should be encouraged particularly in town centres in developments such as offices and cinemas because the peak demands for these occur at different times of the day. From somewhere in PPG13 I believe.
Am I forgiven now then?

contentiouscat · 20/08/2007 20:50

Well I guess people who are new or just dip in & out of Mumsnet wouldnt know how often this is discussed, anyone who feels its all been said before have plenty of other threads to choose from

I did get very annoyed about this when my children were younger but now they are both quite mobile & can get in & out of the car without my help so I just park elsewhere.

No its not a necessity or the end of the world if one is not available but go into a supermarket during the day on any day of the week and a large proportion of people shopping there will be mums...DAMN RIGHT they should supply P & T spaces. If I have a choice of 2 places to buy something then the one I will chose is the one that offers me something extra to attract me be it a free gift, a great price or, when I had smaller children, ease of access.

If they made the spaces big enough to open both doors fully to get the kids in & out of their car seats it wouldnt be an issue - of course then we would all be bitching because there wouldnt be enough spaces LOL

Today we parked away from the store and my eldest was nearly run over by someone driving too fast in the car park (testosterone fulled, balding middle aged man)

loopyredangel · 20/08/2007 23:25

Here is a simple solution to the problem, just make all spaces wider!!! That would be the ideal solution, but could you imagine car parks doing this if it meant losing spaces, and paid car parks would go without a few paid spaces!!!! I find it very useful to use parent and child spaces, I have a dodgy back and pelvis and being able to open a door wider makes it less painful to do so. I also think it is important to have these spaces, as more than often people end up parking to close to you in a normal space, and you can't get in the bloody car without using a tin opener!

loopyredangel · 20/08/2007 23:27

Why don't councils offer parent and child badges - they would make a bit of money from it. I think they should do this for children upto the age of 5 or 6.

mumfor1standfinaltime · 21/08/2007 05:27

whiskeyandbeer - yes I did sometimes used to take up 2 spaces, because I had a 2 door car with very wide doors, and also because I could! There are usually so many spaces further away from the store that it is pathetic to see everyone fighting for spaces so that they don't have to use those things called legs.
I now own a very tiny 4 door car and can park in the tiniest of spaces.
I am confused about your reaction to this!

whiskeyandbeer · 21/08/2007 12:46

about you purposely taking up 2 spaces? how about because if you had any consideration for others you would only take up one?

aloha · 21/08/2007 12:48

Oh for heavens sake - there are normally at least 100 spare spaces at the back of my local Sainsbury's car park. It's hardly harming anyone to park diagonally

ELF1981 · 21/08/2007 12:53

God this topic frustrates me so much.
I got yelled at the other week because I had parked in a space without my daughter in the car. It didn't matter that I'd driven from the shop next door and DH was walking across with DD to the idiot who yelled at me. We were still with her and going home with her so I cannot see the issue.

Rhubarb · 21/08/2007 12:55

I was with a group of childless friends this weekend. This topic came up. I asked what they thought. They said they couldn't see a reason for p&t spaces, they didn't understand why, just because you had a kid, you needed to be near the front of the supermarket. They said they should just find a space wide enough and WALK to the supermarket.

I didn't argue with them. I kind of agreed.

aloha · 21/08/2007 12:58

As it happens, when I was very pregnant I literally could not get into my car in a normal space because some buggers had parked so close! I had to go and sit in Starbucks until one of them moved.
I parked diagnonally after that. Not two spaces, as it happens, but parking accross the space means you can get in your driver's seat even if you are the size of a blue whale. It's a good tip

Rhubarb · 21/08/2007 12:58

Or you could leave a note saying "heavily pregnant woman needs space to get back into car or she will piss all over your bonnet".

Flum · 21/08/2007 13:03

I think Parent and child spaces are a bit unfair on people who don't have kids. What if they have a bad leg or something.

I have two wriggly kids but walking an extra 50yds with them doesn't make much difference to me, I don't really get the idea of them.

And they aren't law are they, just a recommendation I would guess.

Rhubarb · 21/08/2007 13:05

No, they have absolutely no legal status whatsoever. They rely on goodwill alone. Legally a single bloke can park in them and if you were to accost him for doing so you could find yourself being done for affray.

whiskeyandbeer · 21/08/2007 13:11

yes but the supermarket could potentially do something about it if it was explicitly mentioned in the terms and conditions of using the car park etc. but they may not wish to alienate customers.

Flum · 21/08/2007 13:15

I used one one and this silly woman asked me where my children were. I broke down crying and explained that I couldn't have children as I'd had to have a hysterectomy at the age of 17. She felt awful. I really enjoyed my Oscar winning performance and revelled in it for weeks.

Rhubarb · 21/08/2007 13:17

And you think that is funny?

Flum · 21/08/2007 13:18

Actually it wasn't me that did that it was someone who I worked with but it made me chuckle a lot at the time. The sadder thing was she really had had a hysterectomy but used to crack jokes about it all the time.